Arnim Zola is a Swiss scientist and supervillain. In World War II, he worked for Hydra as a scientist, and became a pioneer in the field of technopathy and cloning. In order to survive to the modern age, Zola uploaded his consciousness into a robotic body. After the war ended, his robotic body was stored at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, the Triskelion, leaving Zola incapacitated. Years later, he was inadvertently reawakened by Iron Spider, allowing him to reassemble his robotic body and eventually take control over Hydra as their leader.

After failing to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. with his synthezoids, he formed an alliance with Doctor Octopus. Doctor Octopus later betrayed Zola, damaging his robotic body and leaving him to crash into New York City's harbor inside Octopus Island. When Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, and Doctor Octopus returned to Octopus Island to obtain information about Scarlet Spider's past, Zola awakened and attempted to escape from the ocean by transferring his consciousness into Spider-Man's S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator. Ultimately, his plan was easily foiled when Spider-Man threw his communicator into the ocean, trapping Zola in the harbor once again.